한국인 독자 여러분! 쉬운 영어로 한번 할까요?

공부할 시간이 됐구만~!ㅋㅋ

There’s really nothing special about shots like these. I just like them because they’re candid and unique.

What is it about street photography that attracts me as an photographer?

First, there are so many beautiful moments in everyday life that I want to keep.

For example – I love that torn-bottom, white mini-skirt on the “model” up there. And the car lights add a nice, urban feeling to the picture. It’s a cool moment, with a beautiful girl passing in front of a car’s headlights on one of the last days of summer.

In life, there are funny situations, interesting moments, and also beautiful people. I photograph them all, because sometimes they are memories I want to keep. And the brain is inefficient – those memories fade with time.

Second, in Seoul, ideas of fashion and beauty are not just mainly for stars and people on TV (like in America), but even average people believe they have to look their best, all the time – even to the neighborhood supermarket. And women especially, put a lot of time and energy into their “presentation.”

And Korean women, among all the countries in the world (perhaps with the exception of Italy and Russia), put sooooo much effort into their appearance.

It’s like a fashion show out there.

So I’m a fashion photographer now. ㅋㅋ

I’ve never seen anything like the streets of Seoul.

To me, the beautiful moments in life and the beautiful “models” on the street are sometimes the same thing. So I want to record those moments with my camera.

And for my readers, I want to re-present some of these moments to you.

Thanks for coming!

It’s been a long time in coming.

The first rumblings came from the black “knee socks” that started coming into Korea three winters ago.

And that trend never went away, for two reasons:

1. Black socks in the fall and winter months are practical, because they keep you warm and allow you to wear shorter skirts when you really shouldn’t be, and

2. There is a schoolgirlish, faux coyness to the style that lets you look naughtier while apparently looking nice.
So, to some extent, the trend has turned into a permanent fashion option for young ladies. In this way, it’s not even accurate to call this a “trend” anymore.

That being said, the thigh-high socks are about to bust out ALL over come this winter.

My prediction? That there will be as many women wearing thigh-high tights this winter as there were in the peak of the black knee socks craze two winters ago. And that’s a whole lotta leg we’re talking, then.

What really makes this fad one ripe for the exploding is the extreme rise in skirt lengths over the past couple of summers – especially this year – which means that Korean girls are gonna want to keep the legs exposed, but with it being cold weather and all, they’re gonna need:

1. A way to justify wearing a miniskirt when snow is falling, and

2. A practical way to keep warm because you’re wearing a miniskirt in the dead of winter..

The thigh-high stocking solves both these problems, while offering it’s own form of naughtiness, which was briefly mentioned above. The primary variations on the theme will be as follows:

1. The thick black tights that will cover as much as they encourage the wearer to show more leg, yet will be comfortable and the least risqué, or as the Korean expression so aptly puts it, the least “야해.”

2. Thinner, sheerer tights that will be closer to stockings and give more of such a feel, making the miniskirt look like it’s exposing more. They may also have a few patterns or be white.

3. The most 야해 will be the thigh-highs that call attention to themselves, be they bright colors or wilder patterns, such as fishnets or gaudy flower patterns. The danger for fashion violations runs highest in this third category.

One of the reasons I think this trend will run wild this winter has to do with the sheer amount of young women in Seoul already running around in them, well before it’s anywhere near to getting cold. I saw three pairs of thigh-highs at a single crosswalk a few days ago, when I took the pictures above.

And one thing about the black thigh-highs: they go well with black pumps, but some black pumps are better than others. I must give kudos to my girl in the picture, because she had some fierce, fierce taste in shoes. Exhibit A:

Nice metal eyelet lace holes on the backs there. Girlfriend ain’t playin’! From looking at both pictures, I can tell that the shoes are not the cheap, manmade materials you get in the $20-30 range because there’s a certain obvious “give” to the shoes that is quite apparent. Therefore, they must be a bit softer, conforming to the foot better, as leather does when allowed to adjust over time.

The shoes look worn enough to have adjusted, as you can see from the outline of her toes apparent in the nose of the shoe, but you can also see that this is not just caused by them being too tight – you can see the comfortable space in the back of the shoe, where they hang off as she puts her weight forward on the slight incline where she’s standing.

Adds a bit of an edginess to the whole look. Here’s a better view from a more frontward angle, a.k.a. Exhibit B:

When she walks in the first picture, there’s no tell-tale “flip-flop effect” that happens when women buy shoes too big for their feet, or the proper size before the cheap material stretches upon being worn, causing the shoe to slip past the heel as the foot slides forward, especially when wearing stockings or thin socks.

Price call? I’d say she paid up a little past $100 for those shoes. Anyone care to venture a guess of their own?

Anyway.

Girls are gonna be thigh-high crazy this winter.

They’ve been around under the radar for awhile now, I know. But this winter’s different.

Miniskirts all winter long.

Only in Korea.

ㅋㅋ

EE-OO! EE-OO!

“Calling all cars! Calling all cars! Fashion police being dispatched to apprehend pre-meditated fashion felony! Calling all cars! Calling all cars!”

I was walking down the street today when I spied the most disturbing thing I’d seen in nearly all my time spent in Korea. It caused me great emotional suffering and scarring, and will remain in my memory for the remainder of my days. Oh, the horror! The humanity! The…socks!

BEHOLD!!!

Lawwwwwd, I pray you help this lamb, who has obviously strayed so far from the herd that she is lost and in need of guidance. Send low a sweet chariot to come forth and carry this young lady home.

Now that all that’s positive to say about such an offense as this has been officially said, I just have to add that unless this girl’s mentally retarded, – sorry, but there’s no excuse save that one – there’s no reason for her to be wearing those socks and…green sandals? Huh?!

Lawwd, have mercy! Are those green butterflies on her sandals? Whew.

***SHUDDER***

Since she didn’t seem to be mentally incapacitated in any way, and apparently is an adult and made the conscious decision to wear what she’s wearing, she must accept full responsibility for her actions.

But that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t deserve help. If you see this woman, ya’ll need to act on the spot. Intervene. Do your civic duty. Point this lamb back in the general direction of fashion sense and sanity.

Maybe she’s beyond help?

OK - let me just say that I DO NOT like loose, hangy boots. Never did. I’ve always favored tight, form-fitting stilettos. I know, I know. I am a mere man.

And 93.7% of the time I see these boots on ladies around Seoul, I DO NOT LIKE THEM.

But yesterday, I must say that this young lady certainly knew how to wear them, and they seemed to fit her stance, walk, and what little I could see from her personality. They were just cool on her.

The height is good, they didn’t “hang” or droop too much, and they were a nice contrast to her bare legs. If she had been wearing stockings, they would only have worked if they weren’t the dark brown cheapies you can buy for 200 won. It also helped that her casual, slightly 80’s (but not too much) top was unobtrusively sexy.

Love the black camisole strap peeking out.

Love it!

EE-OO! EE-OO!

“Calling all cars! Calling all cars! Fashion police being dispatched to apprehend ludicrous color choices involving opqaue stockings and pumps! Calling all cars! Calling all cars!”

Uh. Mah. Gawd.

Don’t even get me started.

This is a major felony violation of fashion laws, with aggravated felony assault of 80’s fashion.

OK. The Irene Cara, dance-school-top-slouching-down-over-one-shoulder thing is kinda back. If that’s what you want to do, then technically…it’s…not – I can’t believe I’m even saying this – a…crime.

But black, opaque tights with GOLD, OPEN-TOED SHOES!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!

I was walking in the opposite direction when I spied this young lady sashaying past me, as if she were Princess Di herself, resurrected and given hips.

Do I even need to go into detail here as to how wrong this is? Do I need to talk about no TIGHTS with open-toed shoes or talk about the obvious color clash here?

Uh. Mah. Gawd.

한심하다. 휴.